Wait! Could Your Doctor Be LYING To You?

OK, how much do you trust your doctor? Do you feel pretty assured that he or she will tell you the truth--the whole truth, and nothing but the truth--about what's going on with your body? All right, now try this survey on for size...

"...one in 10 doctors said he or she had actually lied to a patient in the previous year; one-third of those surveyed did not think they should disclose serious medical errors to their patients; and almost two-fifths did not think it necessary to be open about their financial connections to drug and medical device companies."

Which is kind of heavy. Obviously, doctors are people--stressed-out, under-a-lot-of-pressure people--and people tell lies. However.

Some physicians--55 percent of those surveyed--said they were less than honest when telling patients about their prognoses, giving them a more positive spin. And 20 percent of the physicians said that they had not "fully disclosed a mistake to a patient because they were afraid of being sued."

Uh... yikes?

On the bright(er) side, the survey also found that women and minority doctors were more likely than white male doctors to say they were honest with their patients. The researchers suggested that this may be because they're in a profession that has been dominated by white males, and so they feel more dedicated to adhere to professional standards.

I've never really felt like any of my physicians have lied to me. I have felt like they've glossed over things and shrugged off my questions. And there was that one dermatologist who asked me if I was "chicken" after postponing a chemical peel.

How about you? Have your ever felt like a physician lied to you? Are you at all surprised by these findings?